Despite a strong start, Chase Elliott delivers a blunt verdict on Hendrick Motorsports cars 

Ahead of the 2025 Goodyear 400 race, Chase Elliott addressed the current scenarios of all four Hendrick Motorsports cars. While the four Chevrolets have taken a spot in the top five of the points standings, the No. 9 driver Elliott believes the winningest NASCAR organization isn't at their best and can do better.

In a media availability at the Darlington Raceway, 2020 Cup Series champion Elliott was about the team's consistent show of results after seven starts for the 2025 NASCAR season. To which, the 29-year-old lauded the Rick Hendrick-owned organization's efforts to build fast cars.

"The company as a whole has done a great job over the winter to build really, really fast race cars," Elliott said. "I think there's some areas that we can be better. I really don't think we're at our best, really any of us, honestly."

Furthermore, Elliott highlighted how having a scope for improvement is an "exciting" place as we have 19 more races to go before NASCAR ventures into the post-season. He added:

"So it's encouraging to see that. We can pretty confidently say that - hey, these are flaws. These are areas that can certainly have improvement. That's an exciting place to be, in my opinion, because there's so much more racing left this year and opportunities to get where we want to be, and I think we can do that. The company's in a good spot. Everybody's pulling in the same direction, and we've got to keep that up."

Chase Elliott and HMS owner Rick Hendrick - NASCAR: Daytona 500-Qualifying - Source: Imagn

As of writing, Chase Elliott sits in third in the overall points table and has managed two top-5s and four top-10 finishes in his last seven starts. His most recent race at Martinsville Speedway ended with a fourth-place finish. Despite having a strong start for the No. 9 team, Elliott was left unsatisfied with the result and wanted better results.

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"We just need a little bit more": Chase Elliott opens up on eventful Martinsville finish

In his 10th full-time season with Hendrick Motorsports, Chase Elliott has racked up 19 Cup Series wins including the coveted championship title. However, since his 2022 Talladega victory, the Georgia native only managed a single win last year in Texas.

Despite having shown consistent results until the last Martinsville weekend, the No. 9 team is still struggling for better execution.

"It was better, for sure," Chase Elliott said (via Speedway Digest). "We got a little behind there. I wish I could have gotten Denny (Hamlin) in the second stage. We really, really needed control there. When you get into the second-half of these races, it just gets so hard to make ground up. You saw that with Christopher (Bell) pressuring Denny. It just means a lot to have control, and unfortunately I couldn't get that back for us. But overall, it was a really good effort by this No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet team. We had a really good Chevy today, but we just need a little bit more."

NASCAR Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 - Source: Getty

After coming off an impressive runner-up finish in his double-duty stint at Darlington, Chase Elliott would look to make the most of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season's eighth race in South Carolina this Sunday (April 6) at 3 p.m. ET.